The Pittsburgh Steelers might have had their dream shattered in Week 11, but their projected elite draft capital gives fans something to look forward to.
Mike Tomlin or not, this 3-7 team isn’t returning to relevancy during the 2022 season. It’s clear that it’s going to take some time. The Pittsburgh Steelers recently had their hopes shattered by the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. Yet despite the outcome, fans still have something to look forward to.
Nobody is denying that this team could use more talent on both sides of the football, and with each passing game, it’s becoming increasingly clear where the Steelers will need to upgrade during the 2023 offseason. Though playoff hopes are far-fetched, fans can be optimistic that things could turn around in the near future.
After pulling off a trade that could be one of the biggest heists of the year in the NFL, Pittsburgh received a second-round pick from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a struggling wide receiver in Chase Claypool — a player who was never going to be part of the long-term plan.
The bad news is that the Steelers stink this year; the good news is that Pittsburgh will have some elite draft capital to show for it. According to Tankathon, the Steelers first-round pick would be good for 8th overall if the season ended today.
#Steelers draft capital change from Week 10 (top) Week 11 (bottom):
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) November 21, 2022
With the Steelers and Bears both losing, Pittsburgh's capital gets a boost for the time being. pic.twitter.com/smvjkBfw5g
In addition, both of Pittsburgh’s second-round picks increased in value thanks to the Steelers and Bears both losing in Week 11. Tomlin’s team now has a record of 3-7 while Chicago sits on a 3-8 record.
Steelers can rebuild quickly at this rate
While major decisions will still come down to their front office and their scouting department needs to do its job, the draft capital outlook is very encouraging. With potentially three picks inside the top forty, Pittsburgh could land some elite talent in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Assuming they don’t miss, they should be able to get a trio of figure starters from this class and potentially even a Pro Bowl or All-Pro player with as high as they will be picking in round one.
Pittsburgh could use these picks to grab the best players at the most important positions — addressing the issues they have at both offensive tackle and cornerback. They could also use one of these picks to find a major upgrade at the linebacker position or even throw a day-two pick back into a wide receiver to help replace Claypool.
There is still plenty of time for these picks to shift — depending on how the Steelers finish — but if they are going to be bad, Pittsburgh might as well get rewarded with some elite draft capital. Where these picks land and what the team does with them could play a major factor in how quickly things can turn around in the future.